THE scope and object of Men of the Time, now in its Eleventh Edition, are so clearly indicated on its title-page, that it is scarcely necessary to dwell upon them at any length. The work was originally undertaken to fill a place till then unoccupied by any of the multifarious books of reference which the industry and enterprise of the age have provided for almost every class of the community. We have records of the aristocracy of birth and wealth, in the form of Peerages and Histories of the Landed Gentry; we have Court Calendars and Parliamentary Guides, which leave no official dignity, no part of the Civil Service, unchronicled; we have Post Office Directories for the registration of commercial and industrial occupations of every kind; we have lists also of Military and Naval Officers, and of the Clergy, which set forth the rank and services of the members of those professions; Lawyers and Medical Men have likewise their respective muster-rolls; but the aristocracy of intellect had been left, until this work first appeared, without any special record. The aim of the present volume, then, is to furnish memoirs of eminent living persons, of both sexes, in all parts of the civilized world.

The present edition of Men of the Time is to all intents and purposes a new book. Four years have elapsed since the appearance of the Tenth Edition, and during that period no fewer than 434 individuals who were noticed in its columns, have been removed by death. Their places are occupied in the present edition by memoirs of persons whose names have during the same period come prominently before the public.

Besides preparing these new biographies, the Editor has carefully revised all the memoirs in the work, entirely re-casting many, and making additions to nearly all of them.

At the end of the volume is a Necrology containing the names of eminent persons deceased, with the dates of the birth and death, and reference to the last edition of this work in which their biography is to be found.

As it is the desire of the Publishers to render the work as accurate and complete as possible, suggestions for new names, corrections, and additional information, are respectfully invited. All communications addressed to Mr. Thompson Cooper, F.S.A., care of Messrs. Routledge and Sons, The Broadway, Ludgate, E.C., will be thankfully received.